MOTORS & MOTORING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2455, 7 May 1915, Page 9

MOTORS & MOTORING

[By Clutch.]

Coast Route to Wairarapa. The proposed coast route to fh© Wairarapa, discussed recently by the Wellington Automobile Club, was under review at Monday's meeting of the Wairarapa Association. In a- reference to the matter in The Dominion recently it was suggested that a practically level route from the City to the Wairarapa—except for the Wainui-o-mata Hill—could be obtained by constructing a road from the end of the Wainui l?oad at Orongorongo to connect with tlie Western Lake Road from Featherston to Palliser Bay. At Monday's meeting, Mr. M. Elgar, gave some interesting details as to tho proposed route, and the secretary of tho Wairarapa Association, Mr. I. V. Wilson, reported that he had already interviewed an engineer and ascertained from him tho cost of a. rough survey of the route. It was decidod that the Wairarapa Association ask if the Wellington Association would bear half the cost of the survey, and if so a combined committee of the Wairarapa Association and tho Wellington Club could accompany the engineer. Hie survey, it was estimated, would take about three days. If it was decided to go on with tho work a Dominion representative is 1o be invited. Rimutaka Motor Bridge. The use by heavy motor wagons of the Rimutaka motor bridge over Abbott's Creek was discussed at Monday's meeting of the Wairarapa Automobile Association. It will be remembered that the bridge was erected some years back largely by_ subscriptions raised by City and Wairarapa motorists. A member of the Wairarapa Association stated at the meeting that a wagon with about a 6-ton load had narrowly escaped a serious accident, and had damaged the bridge. It was decided to write to the owner of tho wagon causing the damage asking for payment. It was further stated that the bridge was only built for motor-car traffic, and was not safe for the heavy wagon traffic. The Association was hazy as to the actual ownership of the bridge, and it was decided to write to the Feathorston County Council asking whether the bridge was on public or private property, and who the bridge belongs to. The Differential, A light car, built so that the differential can bo locked solid, distinguished itself in some recent winter trials in Yorkshire over rough country and bad road conditions. Commentng on this fact tlio "Autocar" says: "Both in warfare and on the trackless wastes of many of our Overseas possessions, deep mud, slippery ascents, and foundcrous sand are common impediments in the path of automobile transportation; mishaps of one kind or another arising from wheel slip cause- hours of delay and labour, while in wet weather certain routes, otherwise desirable, may become impossible owing to the wheel spin dif^culty. "There is no doubt whatever that a very large percentage of these difficulties are duo to the balance gear, and it may be recalled also that in tho case of the light car the balance gear proved impracticable for speed work, and really high speeds were not obtained till the differential was permanently locked. Possible as this gear may be for ordinary touring work, it is neither desirable nor necessary when the conditions are such that serious trouble from wheel spins likely to occur. "Take, 'as a common instance, the case of a heavy car that has 6kidded off the orown of the road. One wheel is still on firm ground, but the other is deep in the quagmire, with the result that, immediately the drive is engaged, the wheel in the mud spins while the other remains stationary. Thus, its own motive power having become useless, outside assistance is necessary to remove the vehicle from its embarrassments, and it is quite possible that in the meantime a whole lino of traffic may be blocked.

"It is on suet occasions that hours might be saved were a simple locking arrangement incorporated in the differential <*ear of cars and lorries intended for military or Overseas use. Such an addition is .so obviously necessary that a certain Overseas firm of manufacturers, more intimate with hard conditions than we are, long ago put the scheme into practice, and have been rewarded by the patronage of their military authorities."

Value of Road Improvement Propaganda. Thero is food for reflection for New Zealandsrs in the interesting survey of tlio movement for good roads in Victoria, contributed to the "Argus" the other day by Mr: G. R. Broadbent. Early in the 'nineties, states Mr. Broadbent, a Roads Improvement Association was formed, and supported by people in all classes. This body was followed by two x>ther associations, each of which distributed pamphlets and booklets, setting fortli the advantages and need of good roads, and the drawbacks and evils_ of bad ones, these papers exceeding in the aggregate 300,000 copies. This propaganda work produced good fruit; it educated the Parliament, Press, and the people on the question of roads, which Became a live subject. The coming of the motor, and its use, drove home the arguments in favour of improved highways, so that when the Country Roads Bill was introduced, 'the legislators, as with other people, realising what better highways would mean, passed the measure, and so the Roads Board was formed. At tho time the Bill was placed before Parliament, one similar was introduced into the New South Wales Legislature, but in the absonco of any great missionary work for bettor roads such as obtained in Victoria, noither the Parliament nor the people were ready for the measure—its significance was missed—hence the Bill was cast out. The Country Roads Bill provided for the taxing of motorists for road works, the only class of road-users which is directly taxed for the purpose. It often has been asked, even by non-mot-orists, why car-owners should be the only class of the community called upon to contribute to the expense of rendering the roads better and safer, not for motorists alone, but for all others who use them. Perhaps, in all fairness, it should be so, looking at the matter broadly, for, had the Bill proposed to levy tribute upon all roadusers equally, or upon some fair and proportionate basis, towards the cost of reconstruction and upkeep, it would

have met with the united opposition of tlie users of horse-drawn vehicles, and especially that of the agricultural community, and, therefore, would have had very little chance of becoming law. Motorists generally did not, and do not, object to the incidence of the tax. They very much desire better roadways, and are willing to pay their share in a direct tax, in addition to being rated and otherwise taxed the same as other members of the community—a matter that lias been conveniently overlooked by thoso who condemned the policy of the Roads Board in building highways of too superior class, and "evidontly in the interests of motorists." Plea for a Ccncral Tax. Mr. Broadbent concludes his articles by adducing arguments to show that a general tax on all road users is the only equitable method of dealing with road maintenance. He proceeds: Once the principle that all road-users should contribute proportionally toward

the maintenance of roads has been admitted, the next step would be to determine the degree of road wear of tho different kinds of vehicles; and hero it is that the greatest difficulties would be encountered. It is quite clear that tho relative destructiveness of different classes of trafßo varies greatly on different kinds of roads. For instance, it is known that a water-bound macadam road (as now constructed) goes to pieces under very fast automobile traffic, while with horse-driven traffic it may last fairly well. On tho other hand, an asphalt pavement would last almost indefinitely under tho pneumatic tyres of tho motors, while horses' hoofs and narrow steel tyres would chip and eventually disintegrate it in a comparatively short period. With different kinds of pavements or roads, not only would the relative destructive effects of . automobiles and horsed vehicles change, but the relative road-wearing effects of different types of motors would also vary. It will thus be seen that the problem of determining tho damage to roads of different classes of vehicles is' at present somewliat involved, and probably will be separately solved in each community on account of the different proportions of tho various types of roads in tho different localities. Time, however, will lighten the task gradually as the mecha-nically-propelled vehicle replaces all oilier methods of road locomotion, as seems certain it will; and the unqualified success of tho motor vehicle at the seat of war places the seal of efficiency and adaptability indelibly upon it. Tho question of relative road wear haß_ absorbed much attention from the Society of American Automobile Engineers, and in a report to the last annual meeting the research -committee disclosed the fact that the United States Government is now condu'oting a series of road experiments, the results of which will aid materially in the development of an engineering formula for vehicle taxation, based, in part at least, on road destructive effect. In addition to these data, which will be furnished the engineers' committee as soon as available, the commissions of various States already havo information covering the road destructive tendencies of practically every type of vehicle, both motor-driven and horse-drawn, and it is the purpose of the committee to secure the results of these experiments to aid in the determination of a proper formula for road taxation. Rapid and gratifying is the progress being made in appreciating the real value of the roadway; and if tho motor, despite the strenuous conditions of warfare, can maintain its superiority over all types of transport, how much greater will its advantages be in times of peace, with everything in its favour? Hence, when we now build roads, we should construct them with a view to withstand the traffic of the future —the near future, it may be said. To do otherwise is to waste money. To meet the coming enormous expenditure upon road construction all other road-users should be directly taxed, as are motorists, for, after all, it is money invested, though the average driver will boggle at- paying a £5 tax while cheerfully meeting a call of £20 for depreciation in horseflesh, harness, and vehicle caused by the bad roads ho must traverse. Here and There. Legal lighting-up time for motor-cars and motor-cycles;— To-day, 4.52 p.m. Next Friday, 4.53 p.m. During the visit of the Japanese Trade Commissioner the Auckland Automobile Association placed a motor-car at thos disposal of the visitors. Somo time ago the Auckland Automobile Association made representations to the Minister of. Public Works in regard to the Great South Road between Auckland and Hamilton. The association pointed out that the pub-, lished estimate for reforming this road was far in excess of the amount which experts considered necessary. The secretary has now received notification from the Minister that he is obtaining a full report n regard to the matter. _ The Wariarapa_ Automobile Association has been going into the question of insuring members' cars with the association, and Messrs. Smith, Maun sell and the secretary have been appointed a committee to report on at next meeting as to the practicability of the scheme.

The idea at one time that cylinders would, possibly, approximate in size, and power be increased merely by increasing the number of cylinders may bo somewhat nearer realisation than it was at the time it was first mooted, and it may be (says the "Autocar") that we shall yet settle down to .a standard of four cylinders for a little car. eight of the same size for a medium-powered machine, and twelve for the car of luxury, but we are a long way from this at the present time.